Gunmen kill 20 at mosque in Zaria - Nigerian Tribune

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Written by Hassan Ibrahim, Kaduna Monday, 15 October 2012

NATIVES of Dogodaji village near Birnin Gwari in Kaduna State have fled in hundreds to neighbouring communities as gunmen stormed the village and killed not fewer than 20 people on Sunday morning.

Governor Patrick Yakowa, who condemned the killings, has since denied that the villagers were murdered after attending the morning prayers in a mosque within the locality, contrary to what was speculated.

The Kaduna State Commissioner of Police, Olufemi Adenaike, however, said they could not ascertain the number of people killed yet, or revealed what or who was responsible for the attack.

"Some people are saying the attackers were Fulani herdsmen who were probably on a reprisal, but the question is, what reprisal? So my men have moved to the scene to get details of the incident. We couldn't get immediate information from the area because the network there is very poor, but as soon as we get the details and number of people killed, we will let you know," he said

Fear has, however, gripped the entire Birnin Gwari Local Government area, over a hundred kilometres from Kaduna town as those who could not afford to stay in the area were seen leaving in droves, together with their family members for fear of further attacks.

Sources said the "gunmen suspected to be armed robbers, in the early hours of Sunday attacked the village in Kaduna State and killed over 20 persons."

"It was in Dogo Dawa village of Birnin Gwari Local Government Area, some kilometres away from the state capital, it happened at about 6.00 a.m. When the gunmen opened fire on worshippers returning to their houses in the early hours.

"This Sunday morning, the criminals came back and went to the house of the man they suspected to be responsible for identifying them, killed him and two of his children and cut the hand of his wife. They also killed 17 other people in the village. I learnt that those people they killed were just coming from the early morning prayers.

"I can confirm to you that it was not a robbery operation, but it was the criminals themselves that came for a reprisal because the people have been identifying them."

Another source also said that the killing could be a reprisal because members of vigilance group in the community had aided the capture of some robbers who were terrorising villagers and travellers around the area.

"The attackers had written a letter to the community that they were going to revenge the arrest of their gang members," a source said.

But some of the villagers disagreed with the robbery story, saying that the attackers had other motives.

"There were series of robberies in the area, but the community set up a committee to help find out who were responsible and put an end to it.

"A village head in Dogo Dawa was in charge of the committee and, in the last three months, there was no robbery in the area.

"The criminals must have fled the village when they discovered that they no longer have a base there," the source had said.

Meanwhile, the police and other security agents have deployed personnel in the area, so as to maintain peace and order.

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